Football | Ghana

Akaminko still confident despite penalty error

His foul caused the comeback penalty from DRC that levelled the score, but Jerry Akaminko says he cannot be solely responsible for the result.

The Leopards shrugged off a troubled build-up with rows over bonuses and the poor treatment of players to cancel a two-goal second-half deficit and hold fancied Ghana 2-2 in Indian Ocean city Port Elizabeth.

Akaminko was well beaten by the tricky Dieumerci Mbokani on 67 minutes, and the Turkey-based defender clearly tugged at the Anderlecht man, who went down to leave ref Dan Bennet no choice but to point to the spot.

Mbokani struck the resulting penalty well, bringing the game to a thrilling finale.

"We do everything here as a team and not as individuals so we drew together as a team," Akaminko responded to criticism that he was the cause of the result.

But he is of the belief that lessons will be learned if the team focuses on the rest of the upcoming games. "Sometimes in tournaments it goes this way but all we need to do is to forget the past and think about the rest of the games and remain focused. We will make it, this wouldn’t change anything."